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The Columbia Archives grew out of a community
initiative in the 1980's. It is not an official repository of
any one organization. Most of the larger, substantive
record collections were donated by the organizations
– typically through key individuals in those
organizations. Smaller collections and several
of the larger collections came to the Archives
in a piecemeal fashion, where citizens, mostly
early residents, donated materials from many different
organizations.
Principal archival collections include the records
of Columbia’s developer, the Howard Research
and Development Corporation (HRD); Columbia’s
governing bodies, the Columbia Association (CA) and Columbia’s Village Community Associations;
and more than 30 Columbia organizations, covering fields
such as health care, education, recreation and
leisure, culture, religious life, transportation
and governance. The Archives has designated these
collections as individual record groups since
they are comprised largely of primary source materials.
The "Miscellaneous Archives and Vertical Files" collection contains information on over 300 organizations that have influenced Columbia over the years. In general, these materials are less voluminous and largely from secondary source materials. When a sufficient amount of substantive archival records accrues for any one organization, the Archives designate it as a record group.
The Archives hold four manuscript collections.
The first manuscript collection – considered
the premier collection of the Archives –
is the “James W. Rouse Papers,” donated
by his widow, Patty Rouse, in 1996. The papers
chronicle the career of Columbia’s planner
and renowned developer, spanning the years of
1914-1996. The papers contain valuable archival
records documenting Rouse’s personal and
professional activities and achievements, and
corporate records that provide insight into his
many business ventures. The collection includes
documentation of Moss-Rouse Company, J.W. Rouse
& Company, Community Research and Development,
Inc., Shopping Center Development, The Rouse Company,
Columbia and the Enterprise Foundation. The Rouse
Papers also cover his civic and professional activities,
speeches, correspondence, photographs, audio-visual
recordings, scrapbooks, memorabilia and artifacts.
The collection is partially processed and will
be opened to the public gradually as processing
continues. Requests for access are reviewed on
a case-by-case basis. Currently, the collection
spans 165 linear feet with a box list available.
The other manuscript collections include the
“Morton Hoppenfeld Papers,” Columbia’s
planner, spanning the years 1952-1985 (2.5 linear
feet; processed; finding aid available); “Willard
G. Rouse Papers,” James Rouse’s brother and
executive vice president of The Rouse Company,
spanning the years 1936-1970 (20.25 linear feet;
unprocessed; access reviewed on a case-by-case
basis); and “Phyllis and Myer Kuritzky Papers,”
a couple interested in documenting the Jewish
community in Howard County, spanning the years
1927-1995, bulk years 1967-1987 (2.25 linear feet;
unprocessed; access reviewed on a case-by-case
basis).
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The Archives holds a collection of books, conference
proceedings, studies, government documents, pamphlets
and dissertations on new town planning, community
development and Columbia. Special subsections
of the book collection include approximately 100
books from James W. Rouse’s office, a small
collection of authors from Columbia and a small
collection of novels and poetry books to complement
the place name collection. Of the nearly 7 linear
feet of studies, conference proceedings, theses,
etc., 2.5 linear feet were done by or for the
Columbia Association with the remaining 4.5 linear
feet using Columbia as a focal point. Cataloging
of these materials is in process.
The Archives collection of serial publications
includes Central Maryland News, Howard
County Times, Columbia Times, Columbia
Forum, Columbia Life, Columbia
Today, Business Monthly, Columbia
Magazine, Newcomers Guide and Columbia
telephone books.
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The Archives houses over 2,000 black and white
and color photographs, prints and slides; 200
posters; and 20 original artworks. Photographs
have been partially processed and an on-site database
log is available.
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The maps and graphic materials collection includes
approximately 300 original The Rouse Company drawings,
maps, development plans and plats and a Howard
County land grant map. An on-site database log
is available.
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The audiotape collection includes oral history
interviews with Howard County landowners who sold
their property to The Rouse Company and with members
of the Columbia work group planners. The videotape
collection includes news reports, James Rouse
interviews, neighborhood events and network and
local cable television productions on Columbia.
This collection of recordings includes 103 audiotapes
with a database log and 123 videotapes with a
database log.
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Seven collections comprise the vertical files of the Columbia Archives: Articles About Columbia, Columbia Place Names, Columbia Builders & Developers, Planned Communities, Biographical File, Howard County History and an Inventory of Outdoor Art in Columbia. All of these collections have clippings as their basis, except for the Columbia Builders & Developers collection, which is brochure based. Besides clippings, the materials vary greatly among the collections.
Articles about Columbia consists of approximately 1,000 articles from the local and national press from 1963 to the present and cover the planning process, the Columbia concept and how it has succeeded, governance, development, housing, integration, the New Town concept, sports, religious life, etc. (approximately 4.25 linear feet; on-site database available).
Columbia Place Names complements HRD’s Street Name index card collection. Out of a need to generate over 1,000 place names within a short time frame – and without duplicating nearby community names – HRD chose to create names from works of poetry, novels, folk songs, paintings and local history. Clippings, photocopies and research notes allow researchers to discover the origins of Columbia’s creative place names (approximately .75 linear feet).
Columbia Builders & Developers is a collection of builders’ and developers’ brochures for the planned community of Columbia. Files include over 225 companies, housing developments, apartment complexes and other structures (approximately 3.25 linear feet; on-site database available).
The Planned Communities reference collection consists of approximately 60 domestic and 15 international planned communities, as well as several general research folders on various types of planned communities – new towns, garden cities, PUDs and others. The types of materials vary greatly among the communities (approximately 1.25 linear feet; finding aid available).
The Biographical File is a clipping file of newsworthy Columbia residents. The file is arranged alphabetically, by surname (approximately .75 linear feet; index available).
Howard County History provides a reference collection on some historic sites and families found within the Columbia area and Howard County. The Howard County Historical Society is the primary resource for this information (approximately 1.25 linear feet).
Inventory of Outdoor Art in Columbia compiles photographs and data sheets on the works of art found in Columbia.
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Over the years, games, t-shirts, mugs, key chains,
note cards and other items – many sporting
the Columbia logo, The People Tree – were
created to celebrate life in Columbia. Besides
these items, the Archives has some truly historic
artifacts: The Rouse Company headquarters’
groundbreaking shovel; an original Columbia commuter
bus fare box; a whistle used to summon Rouse to
his office for meetings; and sails from the Prairie
Ship Columbia, constructed in 1989 to symbolize
the Columbia Forum’s Voyage from 1989 to
1992.
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The Howard Research and Development Corporation (HRD), incorporated in 1963, was a joint venture between The Rouse Company (TRC) and Connecticut General Life Insurance Company to develop the planned community of Columbia, Maryland. In September 1985, TRC acquired Connecticut General’s interest, making HRD a wholly- owned subsidiary of TRC. The Archives collection of HRD materials consists of documents, printed materials, photographs, maps and plans from many of HRD’s departments: legal, developer’s representative, construction, residential development, architectural committee, personnel, general and institutional development, planning and design, finance and business, marketing, sales and leasing, business and industrial sales, property management, public affairs and information and community affairs. The HRD collection is fully processed.(14 linear feet; finding aid available).
The Columbia Association’s (CA) records held in the Archives contain organizational documents, Columbia Council minutes, budgets, surveys, the president’s records, one vice president’s records and formative documents of the various programs run under the auspices of CA (unprocessed; 44 linear feet).
The Community Association’s of Columbia’s 9 Villages and Town Center contain their records to varying degrees. In general, these materials include minutes, organizational documents, Covenants, special events, newsletters and clippings (35 linear feet).
- Dorsey’s Search CA (incorporated 1980; processed; preliminary finding aid)
- Harper’s Choice CA (incorporated 1968)
- Hickory Ridge CA (incorporated 1971)
- Kings Contrivance CA (incorporated 1977)
- Long Reach CA (incorporated 1970)
- Oakland Mills CA (incorporated 1968)
- Owen Brown CA (incorporated 1972)
- River Hill CA (incorporated 1991)
- Town Center CA (incorporated 1973)
- Wilde Lake CA (incorporated 1967; processed)
Columbia organizations with records in the Columbia Archives include:
- Alternative Financing Study Committee
- Association of Community Services
- Bryant Woods Montessori Children’s
Center
- Cable TV
- Columbia Archives
- Columbia Bank & Trust Company
- Columbia Birthday Group
- Columbia Combined Board
- Columbia Commission
- Columbia Commuter Bus Corporation
- Columbia Conference on Governance
- Columbia Cooperative Ministry
- Columbia Dance Theatre and Multimedia Theatre
- Columbia Festival of the Arts
- Columbia Forum
- Columbia Foundation
- Columbia Medical Plan
- Columbia Religious Facilities Corporation
- Columbia Task Force on Neighborhood &
Village Planning
- Early Childhood Education Board
- Family Life Center
- Faulkner Station Community Association
- Howard Community Access Center
- Howard County Arts Council
- Howard County Association for Retarded Citizens
- Howard County Commission on the Arts
- Howard County Community Cemeteries
- Howard County Memorial Foundation
- Mediation and Conflict Resolution Center
- Middle Patuxent Valley Association
- Roles Study Committee
- Soccer Association of Columbia
- Survival of Black and White in the Next America
Theatre Upstairs
- Visual Arts Center (Columbia Cultural Institute)
- Women’s Center
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